Darjeeling District celebrates Raksha Bandhan Rakhi

Darjeeling District today celebrated the occasion of Raksha Bhandhan with great zest and festivities. The Kalimpong committee of National Self-help Organisation organised a special function on the occasion of Rakhi in town. The organisation has been celebrating the festival every year to promote national unity and integration for the past many years. This year too the organisation celebrated the festival with same enthusiasm at the GJM party office in Kalimpong, where on the first day of the celebrations Rakhi Poornima pooja and rituals were performed. The programme was attended by the GJM leaders Nima Tamang, Kumar Chamling and Dawa Tshering along with NSO Kalimpong committee members Anand Garg and Mahesh Gupta among others.

In Mirik the festival of brothers and sisters was celebrated in a similar manner with the SSB 29th Battalion from Kalpokhari leading the programme. The battalion’s assistant commandant MD Tamang and Sandakpu-Batasay outpost ASI Amrit Pradhan along with SI Bipul Singh participated in the programme, where the girls and women of the two villages tied Rakhi on them. The SSB personnel has been waiting since morning for their self-proclaimed sisters with gifts and sweets.

Similarly, Rakhi was celebrated across the hills, including Darjeeling and Kurseong. Rakhi is celebrated every year in Shravana month during full moon day and on this day sisters tie a religious thread on the right hand of their brothers. On Raksha Bandhan, sisters tie a rakhi (sacred thread) on her brother's wrist. This symbolizes the sister's love and prayers for her brother's well-being, and the brother's lifelong vow to protect her.

There was no less participation of the people of plains in the great symbolic festival of communion and peace. Women and girls in Siliguri did not stop after tying rakhi to their own brothers but many of them came out on road to tie the sacred band on the hands of the under privileged people. Various political and non-political organisations arranged public rakhi tying programmes at a number of places in the town with the aim to spread the message of love and peace. Important political and administrative figures were also seen spontaneously participating in the festival. (EOIC)